<p>After a long and troubling hiatus, guns, magazines and shooting accessories are once again showing up on dealers' shelves and online inventories. Ammunition stocks, with the notable exception of the 22 LR, are also becoming more available. This is great news. As a result, hordes of new and veteran shooters are once again thronging to their local ranges to have fun smacking targets and, in many cases, practicing to familiarize themselves and develop proficiency with their new or standby hunting and defensive firearms.</p><p>Now, all this shooting means lots of magazine reloads. If you happen to be feeding a high-capacity AR or semi-auto pistol, believe me, your "reloading" thumb is going to be mighty sore by the time your last empty hits the ground. That is, unless you've already had the privilege of acquiring one of a number of wonderfully simple but ingenious mechanical magazine loaders. Over the years, I've tested and selected a number of loaders for .22 caliber rifles and handguns, as well as models designed for high-capacity centerfire rifle and pistol mags.</p><p>Here are some of my favorites.</p><p>For single-stack .22 rimfire pistols, typified by the Browning BuckMark and Ruger's fantastically popular Mark I/II/III series, I use a Butler Creek loader that resembles a plastic collar. You simply slip the collar over the magazine and press down. This forces the follower button protruding from the side of the magazine downward compressing the spring. Drop in the desired number of rounds, and you're good to go. Manufactured by a number of firms, such as EABCO, Ruger, Bushnell and HKS, these compact units all retail for about $5: cheap thumb insurance, indeed.</p><p><a href="http://magicvalley.com/lifestyles/recreation/shooting-the-bull-thumb-saving-speed-loaders/article_a525fd2f-7f89-5b39-abe9-af7e92ab04a4.html">Keep reading...</a></p>